Zero reset mechanism for timepieces measuring time intervals



March 4, 1969 v A. PIGUET 3,430,434

I ZERO RESET MECHANISM FOR TIMEPIECES MEASURING TIME INTERVALS March 4, 1969 A. PIGUET 3,430,434

ZERO RESET MECHANISM FOR TIMEPIE'CES MEASURING TIME INTERVALS Filed Jan. 10, 1967 Sheet 2 of 5 FIG. 2

March 4, 1969 A. PIGUET ZERO RESET MECHANISM FOR TI 3,430,434 MEPIECES MEASURING TIME INTERVALS Sheet Filed Jan. 10, 1967 United States Patent 3,430,434 ZERO RESET MECHANISM FOR TIMEPIECES MEASURING TIME INTERVALS Albert Piguet, Le Solliat, Switzerland, assignor to Fabriqne dHorlogei-ie Lemania, Lugrin. S.A., lOrient, Switzerland, a Swiss company Filed Jan. 10, 1967, Ser. No. 608,319 Claims priority, application Switzerland, June 14, 1966,

8,576 66 U.S. Cl. 58-74 2 Claims Int. Cl. G04f 7/04 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention has for its object a timepiece for measuring time intervals in which the operations of starting, stopping and resetting t zero are controlled by a single manipulating member.

There are already known mechanisms of this kind; one of these provides for the starting, the stopping and the resetting to zero by a single retrogressing complete travel of a push-piece. An example of such a device is a chronoscope which operates without a cam or columnwheel and comprises a push-piece which during travel fulfills these three functions by pressing on the pushpiece at mid-travel, there it occasions the disconnection of the counter and its stopping; by pressing it completely the cams are put back to zero and by removing pressure on the pusher, the counter turns back into operation. Thus after being reset to zero, the hand of the counter cannot be immobilised and this hand is constantly driven when the pusher is in the rest position. One of the drawbacks of this system resides in the fact that during a single travel of the pusher the latter fulfills two functions, stopping and reset to zero. A user of average concentration can owing to this fact, cause by too strong a pressure the resetting to zero without pressing by the step of stopping, which does in fact permit the exact reading of the measured time.

Another known system provides a mechanism in which the hammer for resetting to zero is actuated by a cam or column-wheel acting also on a connecting lever for the counter. The disconnection of this lever controlled by the rotation of the column-wheel causes simultaneously the unlocking of the hammer pressed against this columnwheel by a spring, a stop rigid with a lever actuated by the column-wheel is brought at this time in the trajectory of the hammer preventing it from bringing the hand back to zero. The unlocking of the hammer is obtained by turning the rewinding stem which actuates the ratchet pawl connected to the lever on which is secured the stop. The actuating of such a mechanism is relatively complex and long, furthermore it is more ditficult to turn the manipulating organ than to move it axially in the case of a wrist watch.

The present invention has for its object a mechanism for resetting to zero timepieces which measure time intervals and which permits by means of a single control member to occasion the departure of the hand by a pressure followed by relaxation of the push-piece button, while the ensuing pressure and the maintenance of this pressure on the pusher control the stopping of the hand, its reset to zero being obtained during relaxation of the pusher and its return to the rest position.

The annexed drawings show by way of example, three embodiments of the present invention.

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the first embodiment;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a second embodiment;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional detail view of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a third embodiment.

The chronoscope partially represented on FIGURE 1 comprises an oscillating cam pivoted around a screw having a shoulder 2 and actuated by control means comprising a slider 3 guided by two screws 4 and 5 engaged respectively in two elongated openings 6 and 7 and having at one extremity a slot 8 in which engages a pivot piece 9. This piece 9 is provided with a pin 10 in which bears a lever 11 pivoted around a headed screw 36 and subjected to the urging of a return spring 12, one extremity of which 12a is secured to the frame, while the other extremity 12b bears against a peg or pin 11a rigid with lever 11.

Cam 1 has a nick or notch 13 limited by approximately radial edges 13a and 13b intended to cooperate with pivoting means 9, notch 15 cooperating with coupling lever 16 and a brake (not shown). A second cam 1a integral with the first cooperates with hammer 14. A jumping spring 19 penetrates alternately in the two notches 17 and 18 of this cam. Between these different notches, the cam has three parts of larger diameter. Hammer 14 pivoted around a tag 20 is urged by spring 21 which tends to make a turn in the direction of movement of the hands of the watch, around its tag.

The free end 22 of piece 9 opposite hollow 8 is large and rectilinear.

Slider 3 has a shoulder 23 substantially perpendicular to grooves 6 and 7 against which a peg 25 rigid with a lever 26 pivoted around a screw 27 is pressed by a spring 24. This lever has at its free end a catch 28 intended to cooperate with peg 29 of hammer 14. The free end of the hammer is rectilinear and cooperates with cam 33 of wheel 34.

In the modification shown on FIGURE 2, lever 26 is replaced by a pivot-shank pressed against shoulder 23 of slider 3 by spring 31. The hammer has a notch 32 intended to cooperate with pivot-shank 30 which is pivoted at its lower extremity in a perforation 35.

In the modification shown on FIGURE 4, the mechanism for resetting to zero is placed on a counter in which the oscillating cam is replaced by a ratchet piece cam 40 actuated by a slider 41, controlled by the winding stem 42 which moves freely through pinion 43 against which the slider 41 is urged by return spring 44. A lever 45 is pivoted around a fiat head screw 46 and bears against portion 47 of slider 41 under the urging of spring 48. This lever has a catch 49 intended to cooperate with tag 50 of hammer 51 pivoted around stud 52 and urged toward cam 40 by spring 53.

Cam 40 has the shape of a column-Wheel usually employed in counters, the columns of which 54 operate various components of the mechanism. This cam is held in position by the beak of check spring 55. The extremity 58 of lever 56 pivoted around stud 57 is pressed toward the cam by a lever with three arms 61, 62, 63 pivoted around screw 64 and one arm of which bears elastically against the frame. This lever 56 is intended to stop the balance (not shown). A brake 65 pivoted around screw 66 cooperates with arm 62 and is intended to bear against the teeth of wheel 68.

The mechanism shown in FIGURE 1 is in functioning position, the connecting lever 16 being free from cam 1. During actuating of the setting organ consisting preferably of a control button 60 and acting on slider 3, guided by screws 4 and 5 cooperating with openings 6 and 7, piece 9 is pressed in the direction of cam 1, causing lever 11 to pivot through pin 10, thus winding return spring 12. When the extremity 22 of piece 9 encounters the corner of edge 13a, a couple is exerted on this piece under the pressure of the slider, lever 26 bearing against shoulder 23 through pin urged by spring 24 driven in rotation around screw 27 until its catch 28 locates in the trajectory described by pin 29 of hammer 14 around stud 20.

By continuing to press on the pusher, the extremity 22 of piece 9 arrived in the described position, producing a couple on the cam which makes it turn in the direction of arrow F against the jumping spring 19, until the jumping spring 19 falls in notch 18.

The rotation of cam 1 causes the stopping of the counter by lifting the disconnecting lever 16. Simultaneously hammer 14 leaves cam 1 and is liberated from the pressure of spring 21. At this moment, pin 29 of hammer 14 meets catch 28 of lever 26 stopping the travel of the hammer while the pusher maintains slider 3 and piece 9 against cam 1. When pressure ceases, the return spring 12 causes the pivoting of lever 11 which brings piece 9 and slider 3 in the position shown in the drawing. In its retrogressive movement, shoulder 23 of slider 3 drives pin 25 of lever 26 against spring 24. Catch 28 of the lever frees pin 29 of hammer 14 which ends its rotation under the pressure of spring 21 until its free extremity strikes cam 33 of wheel 34, bringing it back in a predetermined position corresponding to the departure position of the cam of the counter which is rigid with this Wheel.

To start the chronoscope, a second pressure is exerted on the control button 50, moving slider 3 as described before. At this moment, the end of piece 22, encounters the corner of edge 1311 creating a couple causing cam 1 to turn in the direction of arrow F1 bringing back the beak of check spring 19 in notch 17 as shown in FIG- URE 1.

During the operation of starting, lever 26 moves as described as before, however, hammer 14 being lifted by cam 1, catch 28 does not meet pin 29 and lever 26 returns in the position shown in the drawing, during the retrogressive movement of slider 3.

The mechanism of FIGURE 2 functions in the same manner as that of FIGURE 1. Lever 26 is replaced by a pivot shank which, when hammer 14 is free from the cam by the rotation thereof in the direction of arrow F under the action of slider 3 and piece 9, pivots around its support point 35 pressed against shoulder 23 by spring 31. Once hammer 14 is free from cam 1, its notch 32 is stopped by pivot-shank 30. The retrograde travel of slider 3 makes pivot-shank 30 come out from notch 32 freeing hammer 14 for the action of spring 21.

In the mechanism shown on FIGURE 4, pressure exerted on winding stem 42 drives slider 41 the extremity of which makes cam turn by one tooth, bringing hammer 51 in the position drawn in dotted lines. The column 54 against which is pressed beak 58 of lever 56 gives Way, and this lever pivots around stud 57 under the action of spring 61 and of arm 63 thus freeing the balance. Simultaneously, arm 62 pivots around screw 64 moving brake 65 away from wheel 68.

A second pressure on winding stem 42 drives slider 41 the extremity of which drives cam 40 by one tooth. Hammer 51 is then free from column 54 against which it was pressed by spring 53, but at the same time, catch 49 of lever 45, pressed against portion 47 of slider 41 by spring 48 is placed in the trajectory of peg 50 stopping the hammer. The rotation of cam 40 brings lever 56 and brake 65 in the position shown in the drawing thus causing the stop of the counter. The retrograde movement of slider 41 controlled by return spring 44 permits then the return of the mechanism in the position shown in the drawing.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that motion is transmitted from the timepiece movement to wheel 34 which is secured on the shaft bearing the chronoscope hands by means of the intermediate seconds wheel shown at the left thereof on FIGURE 1 with which it meshes during functioning when coupling lever 16 on which the latter wheel is mounted is in the position shown on FIG- URE 1.

What is claimed is:

1. In a timepiece for measuring time intervals having a plate, a frame chromometric hands mounted on a shaft having a cam wheel and a ehronometer wheel operated by meshing with an intermediate wheel of the movement mounted on a coupling lever movably connected to an oscillating cam; control means pressure-operated by a single control member and movable from a first position in which said hands are set in operation by coupling said intermediate wheel with said chronometric wheel, to a second position stopping said hands and to a third position wherein said hands are reset to zero, said means comprising a spring urged slider in contact with said control member; said slider having a shoulder, a reset device pivoted for movement along a given trajectory and having a section adapted to contact said oscillating cam and said cam wheel and locking means bearing elastically against said shoulder adapted to enter the trajectory of said reset device when said device is clear of said oscillating cam, said reset device comprising a pivoted lever having a first section adapted to contact said oscillating cam and a second section adapted to rotate said cam wheel to a predetermined position, said lever having a peg thereon, said locking means consisting of a pivoted lever having a catch at one end adapted to hold said peg and a stud spring urged against said shoulder of said slider.

2. Timepiece according to claim 1, wherein said locking means comprise a shank-pin having one end pivoted in the frame of said timepiece, a spring pressing the other end against said shoulder of said slider.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 972,520 10/1910 Dupuis 3874 999,498 8/1911 Hart 38-74 1,031,806 7/1912 Milz 38--74 2,355,371 8/ 1944 Furbach 5876 2,512,088 6/1950 Buchler 5874 FOREIGN PATENTS 914,593 10/ 1946 France. 1,003,141 2/1957 Germany.

994,871 6/ 1965 Great Britain.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

G. H. MILLER, JR., Assistant Examiner. 

